Sunday, August 7, 2011

Day 3- Into the Groove

It didn't take long for us to settle into the slow pace of life in Nerja. Nothing opens before noon and so we don't miss mush except the sunrise by sleeping in.

The coffee here is too strong for my taste. The only redeeming quality about it is the giant mountain of whipped cream that comes on top of the cappuccinos. There is no drip coffee anywhere in sight- it's all made from an espresso machine. After adding a packet of pure sugar and mixing the whipped cream in, it's drinkable. Gives me the shakes- and you all know I'm all about the good stuff. Life is just too short for bad coffee.

After saying hello to all the regulars at the beach, we settle back into the next chapters of Kon-Tiki and Animal Farm. Just after Old Major calls a meeting with all the farm animals, it's time for lunch!


We split boquerones en vinagre, melon y jamon de serrano and the fish of the day, the giant Groper from the display case which comes with a delicious baked potato! Tasty!

After the 2nd round of coffee for the day (I learned my lesson after this), the friendly waitress brings out 4 shots of caramel vodka in chilled shot glasses. Eeeyah! Tastes like medicine!

Every few minutes someone will walk by trying to sell you stuff. Africans come across and sell anything from sunglasses, musica, DVD popular, soccer jerseys, wooden carvings and jewelry. Locals sell sundresses and sarongs. There is a Chinese woman who gives EXCELLENT massages (although she got in trouble with the police for not having a permit so she had to stop) and 2 old Spanish men who have been there since Alex can remember selling a selection of fruit yelling "Tutti Fruiti" and delicious hot salted almonds.

The people who sell the sarongs have come up with an entertaining way of displaying their merchandise. Twice a day they come to the same spot in front of our beach chairs. After laying out their props, he'll ring a bell to get everyone's attention. Then, the fashion show begins!! He and his young helper model several sarongs and demonstrate ways to wear them. They literally STRUT up and down the beach as if they were on a runway. It's an entertaining performance... and IT WORKS!!! By the time the bell rings to signify the end of the demonstration, women from all directions rush up to get the best pick. They have a simple business plan and make a killing!



 After getting some work done at Kronox, we head back to the apartment to freshen up for dinner. Tonight we were going to a fish restaurant. It doesn't look like much- it's mostly outdoor seating and a bar inside. Even at 10PM it's still light out so it feels much earlier than it is.

For starters, we had fried anchovies, fried baby fish that looked like minnow (which I had to decapitate) and delicious fresh scallops served in the shell which were prepared Pil-Pil style in a garlic oil concoction. Fresh tomato salad and papas fritas with salt and vinegar were passed around the table. For the main course, we all had another local specialty, a whole sole doused in lemon juice. After removing the head, I actually enjoyed de-boning the sole now that I know how. First you cut down the middle then along the top and bottom. Pull the meat from the middle out, and remove it from the rest. The meat slides right off the bones!


After enjoying 4 bottles of red wine between us, we joked saying we should have order the Jeroboam instead. The waiter brought out complimentary Baileys shots and dark chocolate squares with ice cream inside. Oh yeah!
After a delicious meal, we wandered back to the main square and resumed our usual spot at the Mediterraneo Cafe. The men had Carlos Primeros and we all enjoyed people watching and the cool evening breeze.

Someone noticed a picture of Katie, Vanessa and Francesco the owner or the cafe on the wall. It was taken a year before, at the Spain vs Portugal World Cup game! Too funny!

The wind and waves were stronger than night and every few minutes a wave would crash as high as the largest cliff under the Balcon. The view from the apartment is priceless and soon it'll be a full moon!

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